Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson Statement on Passage of Legislation to Avert Default and Reopen Government

Statement

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released the following statement after President Obama signed legislation to end the government shutdown, ensure the nation can pay its bills on time, and begin a bipartisan budget conference:

"After weeks of shuttered government, Congress should finally get back to the business of the American people--creating jobs.

"It was not just plummeting poll numbers that pushed so many Republicans to finally agree to end the crisis. It was also the realization that this government was causing families and small businesses real financial hardship.

"Last week, as the full effects of the government shutdown set in, new unemployment claims jumped to their highest level in six months. This was the biggest single-week rise in unemployment since Hurricane Sandy left tens of thousands of people out of work last year.

"The GOP's budget battles, debt-ceiling showdowns, and budget cuts that have consumed Congress since the Republican takeover in 2010 have cost the United States an estimated $700 billion in economic activity and more than two million jobs.

"While the shutdown crisis is over, the unemployment crisis remains as serious as ever. Nearly 12 million people are still officially out of work and tens of millions more are underemployed or have simply given up looking. These are not just numbers but painful stories of lost homes and lost healthcare.

"Let's seize the moment, and return Congress to its rightful mantra: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!"

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